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Posts tagged: Megtec

HP held a pre-drupa press and analyst event in Israel last week. InfoTrends was represented by four analysts: Ralf SchlÅ‘zer, Bob Leahey, Lior Meron, and myself. What is particularly interesting about the top stories from this event is that many of HP’s announcements are emblematic of industry trends that we will see playing out at drupa. Here are eight of the top take-aways from that event:

B2 Digital Takes a Step Forward — There are increasing signs that drupa 2012 could be the “B2 Digital drupa.” Fujifilm, Jadason, and Screen showed B2 Digital products at drupa 2008, but none of those have what I believe to be the key characteristics necessary for a successful digital product at that format size: duplex capability, the ability to draw from multiple drawers, and connection to in-line finishing. HP’s announcement of the Indigo 10000, which I have blogged about separately has all of these. HP, which was lagging behind Kodak and Xerox in format size, has now leapfrogged ahead, but there will be more to come. Cut-sheet inkjet products, including new ones from companies like Delphax, will push the definition of cut-sheet digital print beyond the bounds of a 12” by 18” sheet. The battle moving forward will be about features, acquisition price, and running cost.